Rory Sweeney | Thu 16th Jun 2022 12:24
Earshots are back with the version 2 of the much hyped magnetic wireless earphones. What's unique about Earshots is the patented Earlock system, which is proven to stop earphones falling out, dislodging or getting loose in your ear. Here's our thoughts on this exciting new version available at Evo Cycles now.
Earshots was founded by James Bell-Booth, a keen adventurer, after he was frustrated by conventional earphones during training for the T42 race in Tongariro National Park. Regular earphones fell off and required constant adjustment, so he designed his own using magnets to comfortably clip to his ears. After six years of R&D James had the design just right and released the first generation Earshots into the wild in 2020. The brand new second-generation Earshots retain the magnetic clip system while offering even better sound quality and battery life.
The packaging is minimalistic and thoughtful: Raw cardboard can be recycled and a commitment to sustainability is printed on the back. The earphones are shipped inside the solid charging case, with instructions on their website in order to reduce paper waste. Everything is really well-made and looks durable.
This is a piece of kit I’d like to be seen using. Earshots have nailed the industrial/sporting aesthetic with a toolbox-like charging case and red detailing on the earphones themselves. Everyone knows red goes faster.
With IPX5 waterproofing they can easily be wiped down so they always look good. They’ve also been drop-tested for durability, because your earphones are the last thing you want to think about when you’re eating dirt.
They offer a massive ten hour use time on a single charge thanks to the new battery. The case stores a further 150 hours in case you need to re-charge on the go. That’s almost two Tour de France’s in total use time – if your name is Chris Froome.
The sound quality of the Gen2 Earshots is the most noticeable improvement over the first generation. The large surface area of the titanium driver provides a good low frequency response for bass-heavy music, while also being stiff enough for clean and even high frequencies. This makes them ideal for listening to all kinds of music and reproducing the spoken voice, as in podcasts and phone calls.
The magnetic clip system remains (thankfully) largely unchanged. It is such a simple solution to a common problem that you’ll wonder why another manufacturer didn’t think of it sooner. Maybe it’s the hundreds of prototypes James made in order to get the fit perfect – from moulding magnets to an ipod shuffle, to 3D-printing, to finally having a product that could be mass-produced.
Earshots also use a semi-occluded design, meaning they don’t form a seal with the ear canal. This makes them more comfortable for people who don’t like things being shoved in their ears, and means you can hear more ambient noise when you’re running/cycling/working out. For urban cyclists this means being able to listen to music while still hearing traffic, and on the trails you can still hear the buzz of your rear hub as you fly downhill.
Earshots are great earphones for cycling. They’re light, comfortable, and stay in place despite trail buzz and tough landings. Being able to hear ambient noise is an often-overlooked safety feature, while the long battery life means you can forget to charge them and still be able to listen to music on your next ride. They’re highly sweat and water resistant and drop tested, so they can stand up to just about anything you might throw at them. It’s clear that these have been thoughtfully designed with cycling in mind. They fit well with helmets and most importantly, stay in your ears!
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